Ethiopia’s PM insists on access to Red Sea despite regional conflict threat

Neighbouring countries say coastal states must govern Red Sea as fighting escalates in northern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has pledged to secure a Red Sea port for the country as he begins another five-year term [AFP]

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has insisted that his landlocked country must have access to the Red Sea, despite a conflict in the north of the country that risks escalating into a regional conflict.

Abiy made the demand as he was sworn in for another five-year term in power on Monday. His call came as Ethiopian forces were pushing back opposition forces in the northern Tigray region, which are backed by Eritrea, whose independence in 1993 blocked Addis Ababa’s access to the coast.

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Repeating previous assertions, Abiy said in a speech in Parliament that the country would work to secure a port on the Red Sea, saying that access was critical to Ethiopia’s “civilisation”.

“Based on the principle of give and take, we will work diligently to ensure that Ethiopia has an outlet to the sea,” he said.

Ethiopian pro-government Tigray Peace Force fighters ride in a truck as federal forces entered Tigray’s capital of Mekelle, October 4, 2026 [AFP]

Abiy’s new term and call for Red Sea access come amid worsening relations between Ethiopia and its neighbours.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Egypt and Sudan of supporting opposition forces in the northern Tigray region, following a resurgence of fighting against Abiy’s government.

Lower-level clashes between the federal military and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) began in August, violating a three-year-old peace deal that ended a devastating two-year war between the parties.

Fighting intensified following the formation of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival – a coalition of seven armed movements, including the TPLF, which has committed itself to removing Abiy’s government.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia did not object to Ethiopia gaining access to the Red Sea through Somali territory but added that the two countries would need to officially negotiate.

Four of the five countries bordering the Red Sea – Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia – met on Sunday in Egypt’s New Alamein, claiming that oversight of the coastline was reserved for bordering states.

The following day, Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry said discussions over the Red Sea must account for the country’s “legitimate interests and enduring connection” to the body of water.

邻国表示，随着埃塞俄比亚北部战事升级，沿海国家必须对红海进行管控。

埃塞俄比亚总理阿比·艾哈迈德承诺，在他开始新的五年任期之际，将确保该国拥有一个红海港口。[法新社]

尽管埃塞俄比亚北部冲突有可能升级为地区冲突，但埃塞俄比亚总理阿比·艾哈迈德仍然坚持认为，这个内陆国家必须拥有通往红海的通道。

阿比周一宣誓就职，开始他第二个五年任期时提出了这一要求。与此同时，埃塞俄比亚军队正在北部提格雷地区击退反对派武装，这些反对派武装得到了厄立特里亚的支持。厄立特里亚于1993年独立，此后一直阻断着亚的斯亚贝巴通往海岸的通道。

埃塞俄比亚政府支持的四个团体中，第一个声称已接近完全控制提格雷地区。

埃塞俄比亚政府军在提格雷州推进，反叛武装撤退（共4条，此为第2条）：你需要了解的内容

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阿比在议会发表讲话，重申了他之前的说法，称埃塞俄比亚将努力确保在红海拥有一个港口，并表示该港口对埃塞俄比亚的“文明”至关重要。

他说：“本着互惠互利的原则，我们将努力确保埃塞俄比亚拥有通往海洋的出口。”

2026年10月4日，埃塞俄比亚亲政府的提格雷和平部队战士乘坐卡车进入提格雷州首府默克莱。[法新社]

阿比的新任期以及他提出的红海出海口要求，正值埃塞俄比亚与其邻国关系日益恶化之际。

在反对阿比政府的战斗再次爆发后，埃塞俄比亚指责厄立特里亚、埃及和苏丹支持北部提格雷地区的反对派武装。

联邦军队与提格雷人民解放阵线（提人阵）之间的小规模冲突始于 8 月，违反了结束双方之间长达两年毁灭性战争的三年和平协议。

在埃塞俄比亚人民力量生存联盟成立后，战斗愈演愈烈。该联盟由包括提格雷人民解放阵线（TPLF）在内的七个武装运动组成，致力于推翻阿比政府。

索马里总统哈桑·谢赫·马哈茂德在接受半岛电视台独家采访时表示，索马里不反对埃塞俄比亚通过索马里领土进入红海，但他补充说，两国需要进行正式谈判。

红海沿岸五个国家中的四个——埃及、厄立特里亚、苏丹和索马里——周日在埃及新阿拉曼举行会议，声称对海岸线的监管权属于邻国。

第二天，埃塞俄比亚外交部表示，有关红海的讨论必须考虑到该国与这片水域的“合法利益和持久联系”。